Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 30th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Nehemiah 6:12

I knew that God had not sent Shemaiah. I knew that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to do that.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Bribery;   Courage;   Prophets;   Tobiah;   Thompson Chain Reference - Discernment-Dullness;   Insight;   Perception, Spiritual;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Shemaiah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Nehemiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Geshem;   Nehemiah;   Shemaiah;   Wages;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Nehemiah;   Shemaiah;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Sanballat ;   Tobiah ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Sanballat;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jerusalem;   Sanballat;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Hire;   Mehetabel;   Prophecy;   Shemaiah;   Zechariah, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bible Canon;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for January 12;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Hebrew Names Version
I discerned, and, behold, God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Toviyah and Sanvallat had hired him.
King James Version
And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
English Standard Version
And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
New Century Version
I knew that God had not sent him but that Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to prophesy against me.
New English Translation
I recognized the fact that God had not sent him, for he had spoken the prophecy against me as a hired agent of Tobiah and Sanballat.
Amplified Bible
Then I realized that God had not sent him, but he spoke this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
New American Standard Bible
Then I realized that God certainly had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
World English Bible
I discerned, and, behold, God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And loe, I perceiued, that God had not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecie against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then I recognized that surely God had not sent him, but he spoke his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Berean Standard Bible
I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Contemporary English Version
Suddenly I realized that God had not given Shemaiah this message. But Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to trick me
Complete Jewish Bible
Then I realized that God had not sent him, that he was making this prophecy against me, and that Toviyah and Sanvalat had bribed him to say it.
Darby Translation
And I perceived, and behold, God had not sent him; for he pronounced this prophecy against me; and Tobijah and Sanballat had hired him.
George Lamsa Translation
And, lo, I perceive that God had not sent him against me; neither has it been said to me by a prophet that he will slay me, for Tobiah and Sanballet and their companions had hired him and sent him to kill me.
Good News Translation
When I thought it over, I realized that God had not spoken to Shemaiah, but that Tobiah and Sanballat had bribed him to give me this warning.
Lexham English Bible
Then I look and realized God had not sent him; rather, he had spoken the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Literal Translation
And I understood that, behold, God had not sent him. For he spoke the prophecy against me, and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For I perceaued, that God had not sent him: Yet spake he prophecye vpon me, neuerthelesse Tobias and Saneballat had hired him for money.
American Standard Version
And I discerned, and, lo, God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Bible in Basic English
Then it became clear to me that God had not sent him: he had given this word of a prophet against me himself: and Tobiah and Sanballat had given him money to do so.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And loe, I perceaued that God hath not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecie against me: For Tobia and Sanaballat had hired him for money.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And I discerned, and, lo, God had not sent him; for he pronounced this prophecy against me, whereas Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
King James Version (1611)
And loe, I perceiued that God had not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecie against mee: for Tobiah, and Sanballat had hired him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I observed, and, behold, God had not sent him, for the prophecy was a fable devised against me:
English Revised Version
And I discerned, and, lo, God had not sent him: but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y schal not entre. And Y vndurstood that God `hadde not sent hym, but `he spak as profesiynge to me; and Tobie and Sanaballath `hadden hirid hym for meede.
Update Bible Version
And I discerned, and saw that God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Webster's Bible Translation
And lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
New King James Version
Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
New Living Translation
I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
New Life Bible
Then I understood that God had not sent him. He had spoken these words against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to do it.
New Revised Standard
Then I perceived and saw that God had not sent him at all, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then perceived I, that lo! it was, not God, who had sent him, - though, a prophecy, he had spoken concerning me, but, Tobiah and Sanballat, had hired him:
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I understood that God had not sent him, but that he had spoken to me as if he had been prophesying, and Tobias, and Sanaballat had hired him.
Revised Standard Version
And I understood, and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobi'ah and Sanbal'lat had hired him.
Young's Literal Translation
And I discern, and lo, God hath not sent him, for in the prophecy he hath spoken unto me both Tobiah and Sanballat hired him,
THE MESSAGE
I sensed that God hadn't sent this man. The so-called prophecy he spoke to me was the work of Tobiah and Sanballat; they had hired him. He had been hired to scare me off—trick me—a layman, into desecrating The Temple and ruining my good reputation so they could accuse me.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then I perceived that surely God had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

Contextual Overview

10 One day I went to the house of a man named Shemaiah son of Delaiah. Delaiah was the son of Mehetabel. Shemaiah had to stay in his house. He said, "Nehemiah, let's meet in God's Temple. Let's go inside the Holy Place and lock the doors. Men are coming to kill you. Tonight they are coming to kill you." 11 But I said to Shemaiah, "Should a man like me run away? You know that an ordinary man like me cannot go into the Holy Place without being put to death. I will not go!" 12 I knew that God had not sent Shemaiah. I knew that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to do that. 13 They hired Shemaiah to scare me and make me sin by going into that part of the Temple . They were planning those bad things against me so that they could shame me. 14 My God, please remember Tobiah and Sanballat and the bad things they have done. Also remember the woman prophet Noadiah and the other prophets who have been trying to scare me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I perceived: Ezekiel 13:22, 1 Corinthians 2:15, 1 Corinthians 12:10

God had: Jeremiah 14:14, Jeremiah 23:16, Jeremiah 23:25, Jeremiah 28:15, Ezekiel 13:7, 1 John 4:1

hired him: Isaiah 56:11, Ezekiel 13:19, Micah 3:11, Acts 20:33, 1 Timothy 3:3, Titus 1:7, 1 Peter 5:2, 2 Peter 2:3, Revelation 18:13

Reciprocal: Nehemiah 6:7 - appointed Nehemiah 6:10 - Shemaiah Daniel 11:30 - have intelligence 2 Peter 2:1 - there were

Cross-References

Genesis 6:1
The number of people on earth continued to increase. When these people had daughters, the sons of God saw how beautiful they were. So they chose the women they wanted. They married them, and the women had their children. Then the Lord said, "People are only human. I will not let my Spirit be troubled by them forever. I will let them live only 120 years." During this time and also later, the Nephilim people lived in the land. They have been famous as powerful soldiers since ancient times.
Genesis 6:5
The Lord saw that the people on the earth were very evil. He saw that they thought only about evil things all the time.
Genesis 6:8
But Noah pleased the Lord .
Genesis 6:13
So God said to Noah, "Everyone has filled the earth with anger and violence. So I will destroy all living things. I will remove them from the earth.
Genesis 6:14
Use cypress wood and build a boat for yourself. Make rooms in the boat and cover it with tar inside and out.
Genesis 6:15
"This is the size I want you to make the boat: 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high.
Genesis 6:16
Make a window for the boat about 1 cubit below the roof. Put a door in the side of the boat. Make three floors in the boat: a top deck, a middle deck, and a lower deck.
Genesis 6:17
"Understand what I am telling you. I will bring a great flood of water on the earth. I will destroy all living things that live under heaven. Everything on the earth will die.
Genesis 6:19
Also, you will take two of every living thing on the earth with you into the boat. Take a male and female of every kind of animal so that they might survive with you.
Genesis 6:20
Two of every kind of bird, animal, and creeping thing will come to you so that you might keep them alive.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him,.... Because he advised to that which was against the cause of God and true religion:

but that he pronounced the prophecy against me; for by fleeing, as he advised, it would seem that he was guilty of the crimes of rebellion and treason he was charged with; and leaving the people, as they would in course break up, he himself could not be long in safety, no, not in the temple:

for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him; this he found out afterwards, on purpose to intimidate him, and take such measures as that thereby he would lose his character and his influence.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The existence of a party among the Jews who sided with Sanballat and lent themselves to his schemes, is here for the first time indicated. Compare Nehemiah 6:14, Nehemiah 6:17-19; Nehemiah 13:4-5, Nehemiah 13:28.


 
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